No More Secrets
by JennaGreenleaf
Summary: Lily and James have finally gotten together. But James disappears every full moon. Why won't he tell her where he is? Why can't he? And why are James and Sirius at each other's throats? This is my take on how Lily found out about Remus. Canon, no slash.


"Maybe you're less of a friend than I thought you were." Remus Lupin told James Potter, glaring at him in a way only he could.

"Moony, I can't let secrets ruin my relationship with Lily. She's already asking where I was last night! I have to tell—"

Remus cut him off, "James, Prongs, mate. This is not your secret to tell her."

"Remus, you've trusted Lily and known her well for a lot longer than I have."

"I realize that, James, but…" he trailed off and collapsed onto his bed, his head in his hands, "I want to tell her, Jamie, I do. But I can't. Do you remember that day, in third year, when we did Boggarts? James, what was Lily's boggart? I know you remember."

"Oh"

"Oh is right James. It was a wolf. And not just any type of wolf."

"It's changed, though."

"What?"

"Our exams last year. The thing she's most afraid of is seeing her family dead."

"Bet the wolf's a close second, though."

Sirius burst into the room, "What's going on here?"

"I'm going to tell Lily." James said.

"Tell Lily what?"

"About me" Remus muttered.

"What the hell!" Sirius spun to Remus, "And you're okay with this, Moony?"

"Do I look I'm okay with this, Sirius!?" Remus cried, "Of course I'm not! I don't know if Lily will react the way you guys did. I can't loose any more people. I just can't." He looked up, tears leaking from his slightly yellowing eyes.

"Moony—"

"Padfoot, where'd James go?" Then he realized, "That GIT!" he bellowed.

James heard Remus yell as he snuck out of the dormitory. It hurt him, hurting Remus like this, but he couldn't risk his relationship with Lily. And she'd understand. He knew she would. Remus was the Marauder she was on best terms with, other than him.

As he found Lily in the common room, he saw Remus and Sirius come down the boy's stairs. Sirius had a look on his face that made James realizes that even though he had rejected his family, he still was a Black.

Remus, well, James had never seen him look so pale and sick, even at the full moon. He was shaking from head to foot. If he kept that up, James knew he would make himself vomit. It was true, James and Sirius had seen it only once before. That was the day when they had confronted Remus about his condition.

"Lily. Can I talk to you?" he asked.

"Sure James."

"Upstairs?"

"Umm, okay?"

"Thanks"

He lead her up the boys stair. On the way up, he saw Remus bow his head--in submission. James hated hurting him like this.

Sirius took one look at Remus and crossed the room to James.

"Prongs, think about what you're doing," he hissed, "This. Is. Not. Your. Secret. To. Tell. Her."

"I have no choice, Padfoot. I've been chasing her for three years. I can't chase her away. And she's not prejudice. She knows Remus. He's never hurt her, nor will he."

Lily looked between James and Sirius. She couldn't understand why they were at each other's throats. Then a thought hit her. _No more secrets._ She had a feeling she was about to learn what made the Marauders so loyal, in fact, what made them the Marauders. Maybe they weren't stupid gits after all, "James?"

"I can't believe you," Sirius spat, "You value your relationship with Lily over your best friend's sanity? Think about what you're doing!"

"Sirius, this is Lily I'm telling! Even you trust her! It's not like I'm telling Snivillus like you did!"

"James--"

"James," Lily spoke, "Don't tell me if it's going to rip you four apart like this. I don't really want to be the reason for the breakup of the Marauders."

"Lils, I have to tell you. If only Sirius could get off my back."

"James, this isn't about you! This is about all of us! You, me, Peter, and Remus! You know what a close call it was for him to just get in! You--"

"Upstairs, now," A voice growled. None of them had realized that Remus, who was still shaking from head to foot and pale as a ghost, had snuck up on them.

"Moony--"

"Not here, James. You got us into this mess, and now I'm going to get us out." He led the way up the stairs, "Bring Lily. She has every right to know this now."

When the door to their dorm was closed and the silencing charm had been placed apon it, Remus spoke, "They're animagus." Simple and too the point. That was Remus. James was surprised he could even talk, he was shaking so bad, "As to where James was last night, he was with me."

"Moony, you should be--"

"Don't tell me where I should and shouldn't be, Prongs! You're the reason I'm here now!"

"Wait, wait. You say their animagus? But that's illegal! Does Dumbledore know? _Why?_"

"We--"

"They did it for me, Lily."

"I repeat, why?"

"It helps with my...condition."

"What condition? Remus? _What condition?_ As far as I know, you don't have a condition. What are you four talking about?"

"Of course you don't know about my condition. I couldn't tell anybody."

"Has this something to do with your monthly disappearances?" To Lily's surprise, they nodded, "Boys, the suspense is killing me here, and I can only imagine what it's doing to you."

"Yes. It is the reason for my monthly disappearances. Have you ever checked a calandar to see the days I've been gone? If you have, you must have noticed the small circle in the corner of all the days."

"The full moon," Lily breathed, "You're a-a-a--"

"A werewolf." James finished.

"Yes."

"Lily?" The redhead was frozen in shock.

"Moony" she whispered. She was only beginning to comprehend it. Sweet, innocent, bookish Remus turned into a bloodthirsty monster once a month. This was the stuff of nightmares. Her nightmares. She wanted to run. But she couldn't. He was her friend. He was the only one of the group who she had liked from the beginning. He had helped her, and now she could help him, "I won't tell." Her voice was so soft, it almost wasn't there. But the boys picked up on it, "I won't tell," She repeated, "You're my friend. As this secret is yours, it is now mine. I'll take it to the grave."

"Your girlfriend's got a way with words, Prongs," Sirius said, the Black family temper totally repressed.

"You really won't?" Remus had stopped shaking. He looked up at her through too-long sandy bangs.

"I promise you that, Remus." She turned to James, "Animagus help werewolves, right? Can I see your form?"

Before her eyes, a magnificent adolescent stag was playing with her hair. She reached up to pet it.

"Don't forget about me!" Sirius cried, bounding towards Lily as a dog. He knocked her off her feet and gave her a thorough face-licking.

"Sirius! Get down, Padfoot!" James, transformed back to human, came to her rescue, "You're going to maul my girlfriend to death!"

Lily sat up, "Moony. Peter's Wormtail, right? How'd he manage that?"

"Believe me, it took quite a while."

"Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs. It has a certain ring too it."

"That's what Sirius said. He made up the names."

Lily gasped, and then started to laugh. Remus looked at her weirdly, and then caught on. Eventually the stag-in-headlights look disappeared, and James too joined them. After ten minutes of laughing, only Sirius was left out of the loop.

"Good one, Lily," Remus said as he quieted down, "Now, excuse me for a second." He made his way to the bathroom all the boys in their dorm shared. He looked slightly green, and after a few moments, the sound of retching could be heard. When he came out, he immediately collapsed on his bed. To Lily, it looked like he fell asleep.

"Will he be alright?" She asked.

"He'll be fine by tomorrow. He's been much, much worse."

_No more secrets._ "You know, Remus was my first crush."

"What?!"


End file.
